Start A Fire: How Song Lyrics Can Spark a Blaze

How many people actually believe that? Apparently, not many. I have heard from friends/others that to live a chaste life, to live a holy life is “too hard, too difficult. Save that holy talk for the priests and the nuns, and the saints. That’s not for me!”

If you truly believe that all of us aren’t called to a life of holiness and chastity, (yes married people are called to a chaste life too!), then what are you called to be? Just an average person going through life?

Aren’t you feeling called to do a little more with this one life that you have been given?

Because I’m passionate about music, I thought others could relate and so I found some song lyrics that might help start a fire within you to help you see things differently. I put them into some categories.

You Are Not Called to Live a Mediocre Life:

“I don’t wanna go through the motions,

I don’t wanna go one more day,

without your all-consuming, passion inside of me.

I don’t wanna spend my whole life asking,

“What if I had given everything, instead of going through the motions?”

– Matthew West, from his song “The Motions”

I hear this song and I automatically want to change how I live my daily life. I feel compelled to pray daily, I feel driven to spread the Word, I get excited about how I can stand up for my beliefs. I think about the “motions” I go through everyday when I’m not feeling too inspired and how I feel like it’s a waste to sit on my butt and do nothing that brings me closer to God. So I do my best to “give everything” to Him. He gets all the glory, all the praise.

Sometimes I thinkWhat will people say of meWhen I’m only just a memoryWhen I’m home where my soul belongs

Was I loveWhen no one else would show upWas I Jesus to the least of usWas my worship more than just a song

I want to live like thatAnd give it all I haveSo that everything I say and doPoints to You

If love is who I amThen this is where I’ll standRecklessly abandonedNever holding back

I want to live like that
-Sidewalk Prophets, “Live Like That”

The message I get from this song is in one of the last verses in this chorus: Never Holding Back. Don’t be afraid to speak up and speak often. Don’t be afraid to tell people you love them. Don’t be afraid to call someone out on something that you don’t think is right or good. Don’t censor yourself. As long as it’s done in an educational and loving way, there’s no way we can’t have a genuine conversation about “hot button topics” and maybe make some changes in this world.

Sometimes the day won’t ever end…some days you just throw up your hands.

It’s the little things sometimes.

Sometimes the world has just gone dark, sometimes you’re praying for a spark.

It’s the little things sometimes.

But if you lift your eyes, see it in a different light, just a cloud up in the open sky, let the rain fall away because today is beautiful!

If you see more than what’s in front of youYou might see more of heaven’s view

– David Dunn, from his song “Today is Beautiful”

I don’t see how ANYONE could NOT feel happy after hearing this song. Talk about powerful lyrics! Don’t we all have days when we want to see things in a different light? It could be the most dreary, dreadful, grayest day. But if we look at things differently, we can see that it’s a new day, we are alive, we have breath. So let’s be grateful for this new and beautiful day. Look at your problem in a different light, pray about it, and you might get an answer from God that surprises you. Because, as we know, even when we think God doesn’t hear our prayers, He does.

Forgive and Be Forgiven:

I can’t believe what she saidI can’t believe what he didOh, don’t they know it’s wrongDon’t they know it’s wrong

Well maybe there’s something I missedBut how could they treat me like thisIt’s wearing out my heartThe way they disregardThis is love or this is hate…We all have a choice to make

Oh Father, give me grace to forgive themCause I feel like the one losin’

– Tenth Avenue North “Losing”

Forgiveness is probably one of the toughest things that we as Christians struggle with. We desire forgiveness from God through confession. But we also ask for forgiveness from friends and family when we mess up. But the biggest struggle might be when we observe others sinning with no apologies, with no regard for what they are doing to themselves and to their community. We pray to God to please, please, forgive them because they just don’t know. They don’t know that what they are doing is wrong. They believe in their heart that they are doing the right thing because maybe it’s what society told them to do. Maybe since “Everyone else is doing it, I can too!” Maybe it’s even LEGAL but that doesn’t mean it’s right. Is this action going to bring you/them closer to God? If the answer is no, then we need to forgive them anyways, as difficult as it may be. But do so lovingly, not with hate. As the lyrics mention in another part of the song:

Why do we think that hate’s gonna change their heart?We’re up in arms over wars that don’t need to be foughtBut pride won’t let us lay our weapons on the groundWe build our bridges up but just to burn them downWe think pain is owed apologies and then it’ll stopBut truth be told it doesn’t matter if they’re sorry or notFreedom comes when we surrender to the soundOf mercy and Your grace, Father, send Your angels down

Take Action:

Here they come, we are surroundedWe’re outnumbered with no place to runSo we’re staying here, lifting up a prayerDeliver us

Hear that voice there “You shall not fearYou shall not fight watch me there.”Can we really stand fast while the enemies advanceWe swore to believe so no matter the chance we sing

Raise the banner high march with I and ILift your voices up loud and highStrength and unity, faith and victoryLet the battle rage on we cry

Whom shall we fear, no one, no oneWe put our weapons downWhom shall we fear, no one, no oneWe raise up worship now

– Audio Adrenaline, “20:17 Raise the Banner”

This is obviously a battle cry. Stand together, stay strong. It’s a constant battle within ourselves and with each other isn’t it? We so badly want our voices heard, but if we are together with other Christians, our voice comes across as one loud voice, and that will get our message out more clearly than just complaining and or just a faint whisper. Be proud of who you are and what you believe in. Pray for God to help make our voices heard.

This world can be cold and bitterFeels like we’re in the dead of winterWaiting on something betterBut am I really gonna hide forever?

Over and over againI hear Your voice in my headLet Your light shine, let Your light shine for all to see

[Chorus:]Start a fire in my soulFan the flame and make it growSo there’s no doubt or denyingLet it burn so brightlyThat everyone around can seeThat it’s You, that it’s You that we needStart a fire in me

You only need a spark to start a whole blazeIt only takes a little faithLet it start right here in this citySo these old walls will never be the same

Over and over againI hear Your voice in my headThey need to knowI need to goSpirit won’t You fall on my heart now

-Unspoken “Start a Fire”

By far one of the best songs to start your own fire. Let it start with YOU. Too many times we listen to that negative voice or negative external voices that say, “That can’t be done, you’re shooting for the sky, that’s unrealistic!” or “You’re just not smart enough to pull this off.” You ARE enough. If something is important to you, even if you know it’s going to be difficult or challenging or even costly and great sacrifices will need to be made, seek a way to get it done anyways. No one, not even God, said our lives were supposed to be easy or fair. There will always be a struggle. There will always be despair and setbacks and sadness. But what’s the opposite of all of these? Happiness, joy, love, courage, redemption, peace.

Fit In Your Faith Today: Find a song and let it speak to you! Sometimes songs speak to us moreso than scripture, although it’s funny because most of these songs contain scripture passages. 🙂 There are countless songs out there than start your spark. Here are a few more that you can listen to today!